Latest news with #ReneéRapp
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"You Are The Reason That People In Our Community Don't Feel Safe": Reneé Rapp Went Off At People Getting Upset That She Identifies As A Lesbian Now Instead Of Bi
Reneé Rapp is firing back at those who criticized her sexual identity journey, after confirming she's a lesbian. When she came out as bisexual in 2020, Reneé received both praise and ridicule. Many fans celebrated her as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, while others questioned if she was queerbaiting. Despite it all, she's always openly and proudly shared her love for women. Fast forward to January 2024, the "Tummy Hurts" singer made her Saturday Night Live debut, where she served as the show's musical guest, and even made a guest appearance in a sketch called "Entertainment Tonight Lip-Readers." In the skit, Reneé was introduced as the "little lesbian intern." Coming out as a lesbian on SNL was a last-minute decision for her. In an interview with Them, she revealed the script originally said "little bisexual intern," but she asked the writers to make the change, despite being nervous about how viewers would react. 'They were so sweet," Reneé told Them. "And obviously, they were going to be so sweet. But to me, I was thinking about being so afraid to publicly change my identity. I didn't want anybody to be upset with me," she said of the experience. Reneé, who'd essentially been unofficially crowned as a bi-icon on the internet, was hesitant about switching the label publicly, fearful doing so would "make bisexual people feel shitty," and that referring to herself as "gay" would prompt backlash from fellow queer people who felt like she was inappropriately using the label. "I felt so wrapped up and scared." That same year, Reneé went public with her relationship with fellow singer Towa Bird. They walked the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty red carpet together in March 2024. But that same fear Reneé had about people responding negatively to her lesbian identity back in 2024 became a reality in 2025. The former Sex Lives of College Girls star took to Instagram Live to vent her frustrations regarding some of the backlash she's received. Related: "It Was Not Right": Shailene Woodley Broke Her Silence About The Aaron Rodgers Breakup "Did you not fucking hear me when I just said I'm a lesbian? When I said I'm a big, bad, fucking lesbian?" Renee asked on Instagram Live, per Reddit. "Did you not just fucking hear me? Did you decide to stop listening in that moment? Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up." "Here's why I'm fucking pissed: You are the reason that people in our community don't feel safe coming out and changing and evolving. That is the reason why. We got a lot of other people who are fucking us up, but I'm saying in our community, if you don't allow people to change and to evolve and grow and grow into themselves — I'm so sorry, I grew up in the South me stop myself because I will start crying. I grew up in the South, where you don't do that." Related: Sophie Turner Opened Up About Her "Incredibly Sad" Split From Joe Jonas Reneé then admitted that she felt like she "had to be bisexual" because it was more digestible and acceptable for others if she still assumed a "closeness" to heterosexuality and men. "I felt like for so long I had to be bisexual because I had to assume closeness to a sexuality that could lead to being with a man," she continued. "That is something that I struggled with for such a fucking long time. So for you to get in your fucking comments and in my fucking comments and say that it's not fair that I decided to start identifying as a lesbian because you didn't like the fucking way I went about you! Fuck you!" "I'm glad that you felt comfortable in your sexuality your entire life. I'm glad that you felt like that, truly. I'm so glad. I wish that I had that when I was growing up, but I didn't. It pisses me the fuck off, because that is why people don't feel the validity to change and to grow and to grow into themselves. Everybody grows up in a different way. Everybody comes out in a different way. We hit, like, a second puberty. If you're gay, sometimes you find your people later on in your life, and you grow into yourself. Allow people the space to grow and change and to move forward and to identify how they want." "I have so many of my friends who later on in life, have come into their gender, have come into their sexuality, have changed their sexuality — God forbid I decided that I was a lesbian. God for fucking bid! There's a lot of stuff you can play with me on. Don't play in my face about that. Don't fucking play in my face about that." Reneé went on to reveal that when she has kids, she won't tolerate anyone being an "asshole" to her children if they were figuring out their sexuality as well. There was no hint of humor in her voice either — she was not playing. "Do not make people in our own community feel unsafe to be themselves," Reneé added. "We are too close to pride month for you to piss me off like that. I'm not playing about that. That is one comment that irks me to my core. It makes me feel sad and it makes me feel insecure, because that's something that I had to deal with for such a long time in my life, and so many people do." "Just please, for the love of God, let people be. I get it, this is our identity, right? It is a sacred space. It is special. It is exclusive in so many ways, but you gotta let people be. You gotta let people be. You got to." Honestly, good for her. Sexuality isn't always as black and white as people may think. Allowing people to discover themselves in all facets of life is a part of growing. To hear more from Reneé, you can watch her full response here. Also in Celebrity: "I Can't Emphasize Enough How Filthy Some Of These People Are": 39 Hollywood Secrets People Have Learned From Working With Celebs Also in Celebrity: If You Think You're Smarter Than The Average Celebrity, Prove It By Correctly Answering These Questions They Got Wrong On "Jeopardy" Also in Celebrity: 28 Celebs Who Never Seem To Get Canceled Despite Some Pretty Awful Behavior
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Reneé Rapp Addresses Criticism Of Coming Out As Lesbian
Reneé Rapp is firing back at those who criticized her sexual identity journey, after confirming she's a lesbian. When she came out as bisexual in 2020, Reneé received both praise and ridicule. Many fans celebrated her as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, while others questioned if she was queerbaiting. Despite it all, she's always openly and proudly shared her love for women. Fast forward to January 2024, the "Tummy Hurts" singer made her Saturday Night Live debut, where she served as the show's musical guest, and even made a guest appearance in a sketch called "Entertainment Tonight Lip-Readers." In the skit, Reneé was introduced as the "little lesbian intern." Coming out as a lesbian on SNL was a last-minute decision for her. In an interview with Them, she revealed the script originally said "little bisexual intern," but she asked the writers to make the change, despite being nervous about how viewers would react. 'They were so sweet," Reneé told Them. "And obviously, they were going to be so sweet. But to me, I was thinking about being so afraid to publicly change my identity. I didn't want anybody to be upset with me," she said of the experience. Reneé, who'd essentially been unofficially crowned as a bi-icon on the internet, was hesitant about switching the label publicly, fearful doing so would "make bisexual people feel shitty," and that referring to herself as "gay" would prompt backlash from fellow queer people who felt like she was inappropriately using the label. "I felt so wrapped up and scared." That same year, Reneé went public with her relationship with fellow singer Towa Bird. They walked the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty red carpet together in March 2024. But that same fear Reneé had about people responding negatively to her lesbian identity back in 2024 became a reality in 2025. The former Sex Lives of College Girls star took to Instagram Live to vent her frustrations regarding some of the backlash she's received. "Did you not fucking hear me when I just said I'm a lesbian? When I said I'm a big, bad, fucking lesbian?" Renee asked on Instagram Live, per Reddit. "Did you not just fucking hear me? Did you decide to stop listening in that moment? Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up." "Here's why I'm fucking pissed: You are the reason that people in our community don't feel safe coming out and changing and evolving. That is the reason why. We got a lot of other people who are fucking us up, but I'm saying in our community, if you don't allow people to change and to evolve and grow and grow into themselves — I'm so sorry, I grew up in the South me stop myself because I will start crying. I grew up in the South, where you don't do that." Reneé then admitted that she felt like she "had to be bisexual" because it was more digestible and acceptable for others if she still assumed a "closeness" to heterosexuality and men. "I felt like for so long I had to be bisexual because I had to assume closeness to a sexuality that could lead to being with a man," she continued. "That is something that I struggled with for such a fucking long time. So for you to get in your fucking comments and in my fucking comments and say that it's not fair that I decided to start identifying as a lesbian because you didn't like the fucking way I went about you! Fuck you!" "I'm glad that you felt comfortable in your sexuality your entire life. I'm glad that you felt like that, truly. I'm so glad. I wish that I had that when I was growing up, but I didn't. It pisses me the fuck off, because that is why people don't feel the validity to change and to grow and to grow into themselves. Everybody grows up in a different way. Everybody comes out in a different way. We hit, like, a second puberty. If you're gay, sometimes you find your people later on in your life, and you grow into yourself. Allow people the space to grow and change and to move forward and to identify how they want." "I have so many of my friends who later on in life, have come into their gender, have come into their sexuality, have changed their sexuality — God forbid I decided that I was a lesbian. God for fucking bid! There's a lot of stuff you can play with me on. Don't play in my face about that. Don't fucking play in my face about that." Reneé went on to reveal that when she has kids, she won't tolerate anyone being an "asshole" to her children if they were figuring out their sexuality as well. There was no hint of humor in her voice either — she was not playing. "Do not make people in our own community feel unsafe to be themselves," Reneé added. "We are too close to pride month for you to piss me off like that. I'm not playing about that. That is one comment that irks me to my core. It makes me feel sad and it makes me feel insecure, because that's something that I had to deal with for such a long time in my life, and so many people do." "Just please, for the love of God, let people be. I get it, this is our identity, right? It is a sacred space. It is special. It is exclusive in so many ways, but you gotta let people be. You gotta let people be. You got to." Honestly, good for her. Sexuality isn't always as black and white as people may think. Allowing people to discover themselves in all facets of life is a part of growing. To hear more from Reneé, you can watch her full response here.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wu-Tang Clan Bringing Time Capsule on Tour & Dave Chappelle Already Added His Own Wu Memorabilia
Wu-Tang really is forever. The legendary Staten Island crew is set to embark on their final tour this summer, and the Wu-Tang Clan will be bringing a time capsule on the road. One lucky fan at each tour stop will be able to donate one rare piece of Wu memorabilia to the Wu-Tang Forever Time Capsule. Fans will be able to check out the epic collection of Wu artifacts at the Shaolin Temple VIP Experience, which will turn a lifetime of memories into a timeless treasure. More from Billboard Wu-Tang Clan's RZA Gets His Own Bobby Digital Action Figure Reneé Rapp Says Her Name Was Designed for Pop Stardom John Butler Returns With New Solo Album 'PRISM' 'From the basements of Staten Island, we created something timeless,' RZA said in a statement. 'And now we invite you to be part of that inspiration. In every city, we will be putting something new inside this time capsule.' The Wu-Tang frontman continued: 'Something from your city to connect with all the Wu cities and Wu fans around the world. This Wu-Tang Forever Time Capsule will only be seen in the Shaolin Temple VIP. We invite you to be part of this legacy.' Dave Chappelle had the honor of being the first to donate to the time capsule, and he gave a signed vinyl from the group. The Wu-Tang Clan surprised a recent Chappelle Soundcheck Series show with a performance at the comic's YS Firehouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio, last Friday (May 23). 'Thanks to the Wu for showing Ohio love,' Chappelle said. 'They brought the time capsule with them. Each city has a chance to put something in it in the Shaolin Temple VIP experience. I repped for YS.' The 27-date Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chapter Tour is set to kick off on June 6 in Baltimore and will make stops in Tampa Bay, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, New York City and Toronto, and will wrap up in Philadelphia on July 18. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Reneé Rapp Says Her Name Was Designed for Pop Stardom
Reneé Rapp is leaning into her identity, her artistry, and the name she says was designed for the spotlight. During a new episode of the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler, the singer and actor opened up about her early path to pop stardom, revealing that her mother, Denise Rapp, deliberately gave her an alliterative name to help her succeed in entertainment. More from Billboard Shaun Cassidy Gets Ready for the Longest Tour of His 45-Year Career: 'I Felt the Need to Connect with People' 'Luther' Ties 'Not Like Us' for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart Bono Cheekily Weighs in On Springsteen Vs. Trump Squabble: 'There's Only One Boss in America' 'My mom chose my first and last name to be—well, okay, arguably chose my first and last name to both have R's,' Rapp said. 'She was like, 'Alliteration, just in case she wants to be a pop star.' Like before I was born.' 'She gave you a pop star name just in case, because Reneé Rapp is a huge pop star name,' Poehler responded. Rapp agreed: 'It's a really good one.' The conversation also touched on Rapp's experience publicly coming out as a lesbian while appearing on Saturday Night Live in January. She recalled asking the writers to revise a line in a sketch that referred to her as a 'little bisexual intern.' 'At that time I was very publicly bisexual,' Rapp said. 'In private, I was talking with my girlfriend and a lot of my friends for the last maybe eight months before that of being like, 'I actually don't really feel very bi at the moment. I feel very much like a lesbian and it feels so nice and that word feels amazing.'' 'Labeling yourself publicly is really, really, really empowering,' she added. 'And also, I think, can be kind of intimidating.' She described the moment as 'pretty c—y' and said it felt 'so f—ing good.' Earlier this week, Rapp debuted a new single titled 'Leave Me Alone' during her live performance at the 2025 American Music Awards. The fiery, guitar-heavy track addresses her frustrations with fame and references her exit from the now-cancelled HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls. 'Signed a hundred NDAs but I still say something / Leave me alone, b—h, I wanna have fun / Took my sex life with me, now the show ain't f—in',' she sings on the chorus. 'Leave Me Alone' marks the first release from Rapp's upcoming sophomore album Bite Me, which is set for release on Aug. 1 via Interscope. The album follows 2023's Snow Angel, which debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The title track also reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Trending Songs chart. Bite Me is out Aug. 1. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Cosmopolitan
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
How Reneé Rapp's Mom Manifested Her Fame as a Pop Star
Reneé Rapp's stardom was written in the stars—at least, according to her mom, Denise Rapp. The powerhouse vocalist appeared on The Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, where she opened up about her rise to fame and how she became the latest pop girl to transform the scene. She also shared the major way her mom manifested her stardom to begin with, and it all goes back to the year 2000. 'My mom chose my first and last name to be, well, okay, arguably chose my first and last name to both have [two letter R's],' she explained to the Saturday Night Live alum. 'She was like, 'Alliteration, just in case she wants to be a pop star' before I was born.' While Reneé admitted the move was a bit 'conceited,' she shared that she's actually 'obsessed with the way she did it.' 'I'm like, thank you, God,' she added. Amy agreed with the sentiment, saying, 'She gave you a pop star name just in case, because Reneé Rapp is a huge pop star name.' Reneé quipped, 'It's a really good one!' The interview comes hot off Reneé's American Music Awards debut, where she performed her new single 'Leave Me Alone' for the first time. Complete with dancers, angsty garage-band guitars, and her personality-driven delivery of the lyrics, it was merely another moment catapulting Reneé's name further into our current pop culture landscape. Mark your cals for her next big moment, because her sophomore album, Bite Me, is due on August 1 via Interscope Records. And, ICYMI, catch Reneé's full interview on The Good Hang with Amy Poehler riiight here so you don't miss a beat.
